What Does a Tentative Parole Review Date Letter Mean?

Receiving a letter from the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles this early in a sentence is not unusual for non-violent offenders, and it is a positive sign, but it requires careful reading before drawing conclusions.

A tentative parole review date is exactly what the language says it is: tentative. It means the board has reviewed the case based on guideline settings, which are formula-driven calculations that take into account offense type, sentence length, good time credits, and other factors, and has flagged a month for potential review. It does not mean a hearing has been scheduled, and it does not mean parole will be granted during that month.

The letter is telling your fiancee two things. First, his case has been identified as eligible for parole review consideration based on how his numbers calculate out. Second, he will receive a separate written notice when an actual hearing date is set. Those are two different things, and the distinction matters.

For non-violent offenders in Alabama, guideline settings often produce earlier review dates than the full EOS date would suggest. A 06/2015 review date on a sentence running to 06/2017 is consistent with Alabama's parole guidelines for someone with good time credits and a non-violent record.

What happens between now and that review date matters significantly. A clean disciplinary record, program participation, and a solid release plan all factor into what the board decides when the actual hearing occurs. The tentative date opens the door. What your fiancee does between now and then determines whether he walks through it.

The specific language in the letter is important. Parole correspondence often contains details that change the interpretation considerably. If you can share the full text of the letter with InmateAid, we can give you a mor